This invention relates to an integrated services digital network (hereinbelow called simply ISDN) system, in which data communication is effected among media equipments through an ISDN, and in particular to multimedia equipments and a method for connecting the multimedia equipments, by which in each of the multimedia equipments connected to the ISDN, among media devices (input/output devices) within the relevant multimedia equipment or kinds of the media devices (or kinds of media) one, for which connection is demanded, is identified and connected to the ISDN.
In a system, in which a plurality of media equipments (media terminals and a host computer) are connected with an ISDN through subscriptor lines and data communication is effected among media terminals through the ISDN, it is possible to transmit data by using 2 to 24 lines of B channel by means of one subscriptor line. Consequently, since it is possible to transmit multimedia data, i.e. image data for facsimile, sound data, and other ordinary data, through one subscriptor line, in the case where a plurality of media terminals are connected with the relevant subscriptor line, it is necessary for each of the media terminals to receive data, while judging whether the data on the subscriptor line are for the own media terminal or not.
As a method for identifying the media terminals, for which connection is demanded, among a plurality of media terminals connected with the relevant subscriptor line, there is known a method, by which a sub-address in an ISDN number is used, as indicated e.g. in JP-A-No. 61-214837 and Recommendation of CCITT, E. 164.
However, according to the techniques stated above, although it was possible to identify the media terminals connected with the same subscriptor line, it was not possible to identify one, for which connection is demanded, among a plurality of media devices, or the kind of the media devices (or the kind of media such as image, sound, graphic, etc.), for which connection is demanded, in the case where the relevant terminal is a multimedia terminal having a plurality of media devices (e.g. facsimile device, telephone, etc).